Sweet Pain (Amatucci Family #3) - Sadie Jacks Page 0,7
trying to corral a herd of children.
Stepping into my shoes again—Ryker must have taken them off me—I shook back my hair and walked after my best friend and adopted sister. I hooked my elbow through hers. “Tell me now.”
She turned her head slightly, narrowed her eyes at me. “I said later, Chase. I mean later.” She covered my mouth with her free hand as we crossed into the main hall. She flicked her gaze to the milling police officers.
Ah. The something must be family business then. I nodded.
She lowered her hand, smiled tightly at the small group of law enforcement who appeared to be waiting for us. Two females and one male officer fell into step behind us. No one talked, but the silence was deafening.
We made it back to the main space. The walls had been torn down and all the materials put to the side. With the room wide open, I goggled at the size of it. I’d known it was huge, but the stacks at least as tall as I was of gnarly sheetrock boggled my mind.
Ethan had gone to so much trouble to make this a rat’s maze. As soon as I thought it, I understood. He was a doctor, experimenting with pain and the mind. Why wouldn’t he use a rat’s maze? In the end, I’d become the rat.
I shuddered and kept walking until we made it to the base of the catwalk stairs where the rest of the Amatucci family was waiting. I didn’t see Ryker’s big form. I spun in a circle, looked for him.
After a moment of fruitless search, I turned to Tali. “Where’s Ryker?”
She jerked her thumb back at the main hallway. “With Nik and Wright.” She narrowed her eyes at me as she peered into my eyes. “Are you having trouble remembering things?” she asked softly.
I shook my head. “No. I just assumed that everyone was waiting on me. Meaning Ryker and the others would already be here.”
Her shoulders dropped the slightest degree. Nodded. “No. He called and asked me to get you up and moving around. They should be here in a couple minutes.”
I nodded. Looked at the group of people who comprised my adopted family. Momma and Papa with their dark bronze skin that spoke of their Italian lineage. Turo, the oldest and next in line for Boss, was talking to his parents in low tones.
Nico, Mas, and Rafe were huddled together having their own private conversation. Nico the hot headed lawyer with his piercing butterscotch eyes. Mas and his broken voice with the dark eyes to match. Healer Rafe—the most outgoing and affable—was even subdued as we waited for the rest of our group.
That left Tali, although she fit in the lineup directly after Turo. She was more than able to take over the family business someday. Nothing bothered her—unless it was related to family. That Nathaniel, one of her closest men at the foundation, had betrayed her had to have killed a small part of her.
These people were my family. They lived lives outside the acceptable limits, played hard, loved harder, and never once made me feel less than or that I was encroaching on their time or affection. So much better than the family I’d been born into.
A legal discussion filtered from the hallway that led back to the control room. I turned and saw Ryker, Nik, and Wright coming back. The DA’s IT expert followed behind, burdened under bags and bags of equipment.
“I’m telling you right now that I’m not pressing charges. You’re all free to leave. Just be aware that the powers that be might have some extra questions for you,” Wright said. He ran a hand through his brown hair. He looked like he’d aged years since I took my little nap.
They finally reached us. Ryker pulled me into his arms. Pressed a kiss to my head. “Then you can find both of us at my home. I’ll keep you updated if we change locations.”
Wright nodded. He turned to look at me. “Ms. Chase, I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He flicked his gaze at Ryker, back to me. “I’ll give you the same warning I gave the others. This is an ongoing investigation. No mention of what happened here should be spoken of with anyone not currently in this building.” He gave me a squinty eye until I nodded. He smiled. “Wonderful. We’re going to need to sit down and take your full statement re the bodies and what happened while you